


Poros

by Dwimordene



Category: The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: 3rd Age - The Stewards, Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2012-02-07
Packaged: 2018-04-06 08:35:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4215094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dwimordene/pseuds/Dwimordene
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <span>The year is 2980. In the aftermath of grand strategy, Poros has to reckon with its costs. Written largely for the Transactions challenge at Tolkien_Weekly. </span>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Seize the day

**Author's Note:**

> Note from the HASA Transition Team: This story was originally archived at [HASA](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Henneth_Ann%C3%BBn_Story_Archive), which closed in February 2015. To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in February 2015. We posted announcements about the move, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this author, please contact The HASA Transition Team using the e-mail address on the [HASA collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hasa/profile).

Prompt: Borrow  
Summary: "Waste no man's time in war."  
  


* * *

'Twas said "Hurrhabi" meant "luck spirits," who bartered favors with mortals. Had Aragorn known how, he might've bartered: his men had burned Hurrhabi's shipyard behind its protective cove-chain, but fortune was fickle:   
  
"Haradrim are flanking us," his second, Belarion, warned. "We'll be cut off!"   
  
War admits no hesitations. "Open their slave-pens," he ordered. "Give them torches."   
  
"But captain," Belarion protested, "we can't take them all aboard our – "   
  
"Do it! Hear me!"Aragorn raised his voice to clamoring captives. "There lie Harad's ships! Who would see home must take one!" And to Belarion, standing aghast, snapped: "Borrowed time, lieutenant – now _move_!" 

* * *

**Notes:** Hurrhabi: the name I gave to that point on the map called "The City of the Corsairs" in _Trust._


	2. Beyond the Quays of Umbar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _A-lehani_ \- my fanonical reform sect of Haradrim, who form a minority religious community.

This was imported from B2MEM 2011, where it answered to the "Armenelos" prompt.

Summary: The problem of unintended consequences. Religious prejudice may not *need* an excuse to rear its ugly head, but it will certainly take any one that's handed to it...

* * *

The shipyard fires had barely cooled when the rumors began: Hurrhabi could not have been breached without help. The look-outs must have been paid off. Someone must have helped the _tarkili_.   
  
Old slanders revived – the _a-lehani_ knew them well, and feared. As ugly rumors spread, and the Khan's Children shunned them in market, muttering darkly against heretics who usurped the khan's place, forsaking their fathers for foreign prophets, many left the city.   
  
"Where will you go?" their neighbors asked.   
  
"North," they answered; "'Tis but justice. If for the _tarkili_ we are hunted, then let them shelter us!"  
  


* * *

**Notes:** _A-lehani_ \- my fanonical reform sect of Haradrim, who form a minority religious community.


	3. Seeking purchase

Prompt: Buy

Summary: What price, the future?

* * *

'Twas a hot summer's eve at Poros Crossings. Camp cookfires glittered below the fort, illuminating shrouded forms – Harad's latest unmoored war-crop, seeking refuge.   
  
"Could they swim, we'd never stop them," Celbaran said; his partner grunted.   
  
"Please, honored sir! _A-lehani_ , we," one petitioner pleaded brokenly. "By home, Hurrhabi, for Gondor's raid – kills us, our lord! Is no returning!"   
  
"We've bricklayers aplenty," Celbaran sighed.   
  
"Please, sir – we've children!" The man drew his wife before him.   
  
Celbaran grimaced. "Sir –"   
  
"Please!"   
  
The woman stepped closer then – young, not uncomely...  
  
Celbaran stared. Finally: "Leave," he said tightly. " _Now_!"   
  
They fled, but their devastation lingered.


	4. In the hour of nations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Time-Nations-Emmanuel-Levinas/dp/0253332958">Emmanuel Levinas, for the title</a>.

Prompt: Sell

Summary: Selling the dream.

* * *

The camp grew daily. Celbaran tried forgetting the man and woman – their offer.   
  
'Twas hard, when smaller bribes showed mean in their light.   
  
'Twas worse when riders appeared: the Khan's scouts loved not refugees.   
  
"They'll return with us," the chief scout declared.   
  
"Harad doesn't rule Harondor," Captain Ránion replied.  
  
"She'll rule Hurrhabi's traitors, if Gondor desires peace!"   
  
"Harad's justice be done," Ránion answered. " _When_ your captain and company arrive."   
  
"We're selling them downriver!" Celbaran fretted later, gesturing to Gondor's guardsmen ringing the camp.   
  
"Someone's to pay for Hurrhabi." Gilion reasoned. "Thorongil's gone, Harad's reach is shortened: good for us."  
  
 _Death for them._  
  


  
****

* * *

**Notes:** Thank you,  <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Time-Nations-Emmanuel-Levinas/dp/0253332958">Emmanuel Levinas, for the title</a>.


	5. The coin's two sides

Prompt: Lend

Summary: It turns out you can serve two masters.

* * *

Next morn, Captain called muster.  
  
"Remember well our duty," Ránion told Poros's assembled soldiers. "We defend Gondor's integrity: maintain peace, keep Haradrim out. Clear?"   
  
Someone shifted. Ránion turned sharply, stared...   
  
"Sir?" Celbaran heard himself ask. "When the Khan's men come, these _a-lehani_ – shan't they run?"   
  
"Undoubtedly."   
  
"And if they seek escape by the Crossings? Captain," he asked, "must we lend our swords to Harad's vengeance?"   
  
Silence, then: "Say rather, to Gondor's interests."   
  
_Gondor's interests_. Later, Celbaran spies the woman, wearily balancing squabbling children on either arm.   
  
Appeasement is not peace, yet impoverished power, Gondor – they – will kill even for that.


	6. Rise like eagles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The burial of Folcred and Fastred in a single mound at Poros is told in Appendix A; their names only come up in the genealogy of Rohan's kings. They answered the call of Túrin II, in 2885, who at that point was losing Ithilien to the invasions of Haradrim serving under Mordor.

Prompt: Bequeath

Summary: And now for something completely historical...

* * *

It began long ago, as Men count years now, when Círion put his hand and a province in Eorl's hands, honoring the truth: that this stranger had held Gondor entire in his grasp... and returned it freely, gladly.   
  
The love of princes binds lands and peoples. And if gratitude makes light of bondage, blood bequeaths a horror of its breach.   
  
At Poros, Folcred and Fastred fell upon Gondor's enemies like arrows, and rose to meet the fatal charge like eagles seeking sky.   
  
So their barrow guards the Crossings, and its door proclaims: _For love and honor– the Mark and Gondor._  
  


* * *

**Notes:** The burial of Folcred and Fastred in a single mound at Poros is told in Appendix A; their names only come up in the genealogy of Rohan's kings. They answered the call of Túrin II, in 2885, who at that point was losing Ithilien to the invasions of Haradrim serving under Mordor.

The sad part is that they basically fell in a last ditch war of attrition - they managed to help push the Haradrim out of Ithilien, but Gondor couldn't reclaim the province. Instead, it began treating it as a wilderness outpost, to be held by Rangers operating out of secret outposts, like Henneth Annûn, which Túrin constructed.

My pessimistic side thinks Sauron planned it this way: he probably let Túrin have the land at a certain point, knowing that it wasn't going to do Gondor a whole lot of good, and just used the retreat through Ithilien and over Poros to bleed Gondor as dry as he could, thereby killing a lot of people, including the Haradrim who were serving under his orders and never were going to occupy and farm that land (a point which I think must play out badly in their psyches...).

The title owes a debt to... Emmanuel Levinas, and his essay, "To die for..." Yes, I am a one-trick pony.


	7. Finding purchase

Prompt: Buy

Summary: Necessity mothers invention.

* * *

The night ran away like a thief, yet Celbaran felt every hour stretch as on a rack. Sleepless, he stood his private death-watch, and Gilion stood with him – for friendship or uneasy honor? Celbaran took such charity as found him.   
  
For he had found no escape. He could not even buy them time, for who would delay the Khan's men? And he could not hide them, for south of Poros, the land lay flat, save for the barrow-mound: a dark, ominous swell, as of condemnation...   
  
_For love and honor..._  
  
… and his heart quickened; Celbaran caught Gilion's arm.   
  
"What?"   
  
"Help me!"


	8. Poison: Gift Economy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I can be a two-trick pony: impossible gifts and proximity of gift to death = courtesy of Derrida.

Prompt: Gift

Summary: The gift cannot be given...

* * *

The dawn breaks grey as old men, bringing the cares of kingdoms down upon Poros: to southeast, a line of horsemen; to northwest, Poros lies behind a Gondorian shield-wall; and between them, the price of peace.   
  
They say the peace of nations is a gift. In fact, 'tis a bargain, whose coin is another's blood. So the Haradrim scream _Death to Gondor!_ , but slaughter their own; while Come on, you bastards! Gondorrim beg, and beat down fleeing men, because _dammit, dammit,_ they _won't come, why_ did _you come?_  
  
One day they'll no more barter, but today, peace reigns in Poros.   
  


* * *

  
**Notes:** Okay, I can be a two-trick pony: impossible gifts and proximity of gift to death = courtesy of Derrida.


	9. Debt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day, I will write the backstory to the higher level politicking that results in this catastrophe. But it is not this day that I shall write it... Thanks, T_W crew, for the prompts!

Prompt: Gift

Summary: From the dead to the living, a gift...

* * *

The Khan's men wouldn't stay, even for the bodies. "They're traitors," their captain said. "Do as you will with your own."   
  
So the day rang with shovels, and as Celbaran and his fellows turned the last little earth, evening, spreading like a bruise, brought visitation.   
  
"Cel," Gilion murmured, nodding toward the barrow door – toward the woman, with her children and husband.   
  
Dusty with death, they descended, and clinging wide-eyed to each other, passed among the silent gravemen. Celbaran held his breath. But none opposed them: they forded the river, and disappeared.   
  
_For love and honor_. Celbaran sat down and wept.   
  


* * *

  
**Notes:** One day, I will write the backstory to the higher level politicking that results in this catastrophe. But it is not this day that I shall write it... Thanks, T_W crew, for the prompts!


End file.
